Paula Wolfert

Tunisian Chickpea Salad

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Serves

    4

Appears in

top 1000The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook

The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

By Paula Wolfert

Published 2003

  • About

To enhance the flavor of home-cooked chickpeas, marinate them with spices while they are still hot.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon homemade harissa or Turkish red pepper paste (see Mail Order Sources)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • About 12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and halved
  • 4 cherry tomatoes, for garnish

Method

  1. Drain the chickpeas and place in a saucepan with the whole onion and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add enough water to cover by 1½ inches, cover with a tight lid, and cook over low heat until the chickpeas are tender, 1½ hours or more. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
  2. While the chickpeas are still warm, transfer them to a bowl; discard the onion. Pour the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid over the chickpeas and gently fold in the cumin, harissa, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate for at least 4 or 5 hours. Drain off the liquid.
  3. Toss the chickpeas with the chopped red onion, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Garnish with the olives and cherry tomatoes and serve at room temperature.

With thanks to chef HaouariAbderrazak for sharing this recipe.

The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert. Copyright © 2003 by Paula Wolfert. Photographs copyright © by Christopher Hirsheimer. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.